Amman (TDI): United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s recent move to sever electricity and water services to facilities owned by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
A spokesperson for the world body emphasized that such actions further impede the agency’s capacity to carry out essential activities, noting that UNRWA property remains legally inviolable and represents an integral part of the United Nations.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini added that these restrictions are part of a systematic campaign intended to discredit the agency and obstruct its humanitarian role.
This utility ban coincides with a broader Israeli policy to suspend numerous international humanitarian organizations that have allegedly failed to meet new vetting requirements.
These regulations, established earlier this year, require aid groups to submit detailed information regarding funding, operations and staff lists, including Palestinian personnel in Gaza.
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Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said “The registration process is intended to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas, which in the past operated under the cover of certain international aid organizations, knowingly or unknowingly.”
The organizations facing suspension contribute less than 1% of total aid and that assistance will continue through permitted groups.
The current friction follows a 2024 law passed by the Israeli parliament that banned UNRWA from operating within the country and prohibited government officials from maintaining contact with the agency.
While UNRWA continues to operate in East Jerusalem, relations have deteriorated sharply during the Gaza conflict.
Israel has repeatedly called for the agency to be disbanded and its responsibilities transferred, while the United States, formerly the largest donor, halted funding in early 2024 following allegations of militant infiltration.
The suspension of additional non-governmental organizations, effective January 1, targets several prominent groups.
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The list of affected entities includes Action Against Hunger, CARE, Medecins du Monde France and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Other major charities such as Oxfam Quebec, Caritas and Doctors Without Borders are also facing license revocations.
International leaders from countries including Canada, France and the United Kingdom warned that these bans would have a severe impact on essential services, potentially closing one-third of all healthcare facilities in Gaza.
Aid organizations argue that the new registration rules are arbitrary and create significant security risks. Many groups refused to share staff lists due to European data protection laws and fears that personnel would be targeted by military forces.
Athena Rayburn, the executive director of AIDA stated that “Agreeing for a party to the conflict to vet our staff, especially under the conditions of occupation, is a violation of humanitarian principles, specifically neutrality and independence,”
As these organizations face the closure of offices in Israel and East Jerusalem by March 1, they warn that the workload will fall entirely on exhausted local staff, further endangering a population of over 2 million people in need of assistance.
Tayyaba Arif is a student of International Relations. She takes a keen interest in conflict reporting and the dynamics of regional and global affairs.
She can be reached at tayyabarrif0@gmail.com